大象传媒

D猫 cho m貌r 鈥檚 a tha ur briathrachas G脿idhlig? Am bi sibh a鈥� leughadh an fhaclair airson sp貌rs? Mholainn sin, ma tha sibh gu bhith a鈥� leudachadh na tha de dh鈥檉haclan air ur teangaidh. Anns an Litir seo, tha mi a鈥� dol a chur deuchainn oirbh. Tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檃inmeachadh fhaclan-fillte 脿 seann fhaclair Armstrong. Ch矛 sinn cia mheud dhiubh air a bheil sibh e貌lach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e a鈥� chiad fhacal 补颈谤驳别补诲-产别貌. 鈥橲 e rudeigin annasach a th鈥� ann 鈥� meatailt a tha a鈥� coimhead coltach ri airgead ach a bhios a鈥� gluasad mar gu bheil i be貌. 鈥橲 e sin a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air mercury no quicksilver 鈥� 补颈谤驳别补诲-产别貌. Tha e a鈥� d猫anamh ciall, nach eil?

听听听听听听听听听听听 An d脿rna facal 鈥� agus tha e a鈥� t貌iseachadh le 鈥榖鈥� oir bidh mi a鈥� gluasad tron aibidil 鈥� bian-leasaiche. Bian-leasaiche. Bu ch貌ir sin a bhith furasta gu le貌r. Bidh fios agaibh gur e bian seiche aig ainmhidh. Bian an tuirc 鈥� the hide of the wild boar. 鈥橲 e leasaiche duine a bhios a鈥� leasachadh rudeigin. 鈥橲 iomadh 鈥榦ifigear-leasachaidh鈥� a th鈥� againn anns an t-saoghal sa bheil sinn be貌. Mar sin, 鈥檚 bian-leasaiche neach a bhios a鈥� cartadh nam bian. Ann am Beurla 鈥� a tanner, somebody who tans hides. Bian-leasaiche.

听听听听听听听听听听听 A-nise, facal a鈥� t貌iseachadh le 鈥榗鈥� 鈥� cluas-chrochag. Cluas-chrochag. Uill, cha bu ch貌ir seo a bhith ro dhoirbh. Bidh fios agaibh d猫 th鈥� ann an cluas. Agus d猫 th鈥� ann an crochag? Uill, rudeigin beag a bhios a鈥� crochadh 鈥� pendulum ann an cloc no pendant a bhios, can, boireannach a鈥� cur oirre mar seud. Cluas-chrochag 鈥� an ear-ring or ear-pendant.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha sinn aig 鈥榙鈥� a-nise agus tha fear doirbh agam dhuibh. Ch貌rd am facal fillte seo rium a鈥� chiad turas a chunnaic mi e, ged a tha e car seann-fhasanta an-diugh 鈥� deud-cheartaiche. Deud-cheartaiche. Nise, 鈥檚 e deud seann fhacal G脿idhlig airson fiacail. Tha e c脿irdeach do dant ann an Cuimris, dens ann an Laideann agus dent ann am Fraingis. Tha e againn fhathast anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig airson toothache 鈥� an deudadh. Tha an deudadh orm 鈥� I have toothache. 鈥橲 e deud-cheartaiche neach a bhios a鈥� cur nan deudan agad ceart nuair a tha rudeigin ce脿rr orra. A dentist! Deud-cheartaiche. Bidh sinn ag r脿dh 鈥榝iaclair鈥� an-diugh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nise, eug-lios 鈥� sin E-U-G,听 t脿than, L-I-O-S. Eug-lios. Facal-fillte gu math inntinneach! A bheil sibh e貌lach air an fhacal eug? Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥榖脿s鈥�. Ann an cuid de dhualchainntean, bithear ag r脿dh dh鈥檈ug e airson chaochail e no bh脿saich e. Mar sin, 鈥檚 e eug-lios 脿ite 鈥� lios, leas, g脿rradh 鈥� far am bi na mairbh air an cur 脿s d猫idh dhaibh b脿s fhaighinn. A cemetery or graveyard. Eug-lios. Tha am facal as cumanta airson a leithid 鈥� cladh 鈥� a鈥� tighinn bhon fear a tha a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥榙ig鈥� 鈥� toll a chladhach. Chanainn gu bheil eug-lios a cheart cho tarraingeach, ged a tha e seann-fhasanta an-diugh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nise, fiadh-ghleann. Fiadh-ghleann. Gleann far am bi f猫idh a鈥� cruinneachadh ann an treudan. Ach tha e cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh wild glen. Tha am facal fiadh gu m貌r co-cheangailte ri rudan 鈥榳颈濒诲鈥� mar a chanar ann am Beurla. 脌s a sin gheibh sinn am facal fiadhaich. Tha sp貌rs ann am faclan, nach eil? Bidh tuilleadh agam dhuibh an-ath-sheachdain.

D猫 cho m貌r 鈥檚 a tha ur briathrachas G脿idhlig?: how extensive is your Gaelic vocabulary?; am bi sibh a鈥� leughadh an fhaclair airson sp貌rs?: do you read the dictionary for fun?; mholainn sin: I鈥檇 recommend that; tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檃inmeachadh fhaclan-fillte 脿 seann fhaclair Armstrong: I鈥檓 going to name compound nouns from Armstrong鈥檚 old dictionary; cia mheud dhiubh: how many of them; meatailt a tha a鈥� coimhead coltach ri airgead: a metal that looks like silver; ach a bhios a鈥� gluasad mar gu bheil i be貌: but moves as if it is alive; tha e a鈥� d猫anamh ciall, nach eil?: it makes sense, doesn鈥檛 it?; bidh mi a鈥� gluasad tron aibidil: I鈥檒l be moving through the alphabet; gur e bian seiche aig ainmhidh: that a bian is an animal hide; neach a bhios a鈥� cartadh nam bian: somebody who tans [the] hides; cha bu ch貌ir seo a bhith ro dhoirbh: this shouldn鈥檛 be too difficult; boireannach a鈥� cur oirre mar seud: a woman wearing as an item of jewellery; facal-fillte gu math inntinneach: a very interesting compound noun; ann an cuid de dhualchainntean, bithear ag r脿dh X : in some dialects X is said; far am bi na mairbh air an cur 脿s d猫idh dhaibh b脿s fhaighinn: where the dead are put after they die; chanainn gu bheil X a cheart cho tarraingeach: I鈥檇 say that X is just as appealing; far am bi f猫idh a鈥� cruinneachadh ann an treudan: where deer gather in herds; 脿s a sin gheibh sinn am facal fiadhaich: from that we derive the word fiadhaich; tha sp貌rs ann am faclan, nach eil?: words are fun, aren鈥檛 they?

a鈥� leudachadh na tha de dh鈥檉haclan air ur teangaidh: expanding the vocabulary on your tongue. The word for tongue is generally spelled teanga today but interestingly Armstrong (1825) spells it teangadh. This is significant because in some dialects it still slenderises in the dative singular (being a feminine noun). Thus we get air an teangaidh, rather than air an teanga. The inflexion sits more comfortably with the older spelling.

tha mi a鈥� dol a chur deuchainn oirbh: I鈥檓 going to test you.

听

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA